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Ruff Family History

Ruff Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English rough rowe ruwe ‘rough (haired) shaggy disheveled’.

English (of Norman origin): perhaps a post-medieval spelling of Roff or Roof; see Rolfe.

Scottish: perhaps a Scots pronunciation of Rock.

German: variant of Ruf.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Ruff family from?

You can see how Ruff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ruff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ruff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 195 Ruff families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Ruff's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ruff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ruff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ruff ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ruff. 10% of Ruff men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Ruff women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ruff were Bricklayer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Ruff | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Cowman
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Housekeeper
    2%

What Ruff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 87,000 census records available for the last name Ruff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ruff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ruff

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Ruff. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ruff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Ruff. For the veterans among your Ruff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ruff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ruff family history

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What is the average Ruff lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ruff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Ruff in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ruff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ruff ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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